UMVA has learned that a Texas teenager was found guilty of murder on Tuesday for the fatal stabbing of another teen during a track meet and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
The victim's family had some choice words about his killer following the verdict. The jury deliberated for about three hours before reaching a unanimous decision to find Karmelo Anthony, a 19-year-old student, guilty of murdering Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old student, during a track meet in the Dallas suburb of Frisco on April 2, 2025.
The trial heard both students were involved in a confrontation at the track meet before Anthony fatally stabbed Metcalf. The victim's father, Jeff Metcalf, said his son didn’t know Anthony while his son’s twin brother was nearby and tried to save his life.
“We were robbed,” he said to Anthony, who was not looking up. “Don’t look down!” He said the trial was not about race but about “right and wrong.”
The father told the courtroom that he was targeted and harassed by supporters and activists following his son’s murder, saying he was “swatted” six times — the act of maliciously reporting a false crime or emergency that leads to an aggressive response from police.
“People think grief is sadness, it is not. It is rage. Pure unfiltered rage,” he said as he pounded the table with his fist. The victim's mother, Meghan Metcalf, also addressed the defendant during her victim impact statement.
“He didn’t just die,” she said. “He was taken from us.” Her tone then turned to anger. “You should feel lucky you got 35 years because I’ve been given a life sentence without my son,” she said.
The victim’s twin also read a statement after the guilty verdict, asking Anthony to think about the pain he has caused their family. “You took a son, a brother, a friend, and my best friend, from this world,” Hunter Metcalf said.
Following the sentencing, prosecutors issued a statement at a press conference and were joined by the Metcalf family. “Today, justice was served,” the district attorney said. “A year ago, when this senseless murder unfolded, I said that it had struck a deep nerve in the community and far beyond.”
The district attorney added that the community was grateful to the jury and that the process had delivered accountability. The Metcalf family was present throughout the trial, seeking justice for their lost loved one.
